


Winter 2014: Decorating Management Attempt 2

by dreamwriteremmy (ehryniewi)



Series: The Common House Tales [59]
Category: Naruto, No Fandom, Original Work, Tears of Artamon - Sarah Ash, Welcome to Night Vale
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Fusion, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Blood and Gore, Fights, Food, Gen, Mental Health Issues, Music, Recovery, self-care
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-31
Updated: 2015-12-31
Packaged: 2018-05-10 20:07:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 992
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5599171
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ehryniewi/pseuds/dreamwriteremmy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Betony foists Kevin off on Aeslyn in an attempt to try to manage the decorating triggers she's not sure how to handle. Aeslyn introduces him to one of the simulation training rooms and a parody Christmas CD and then shows him the springs next door.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Winter 2014: Decorating Management Attempt 2

Aeslyn grins. "Betony said you wanted to decorate again and I'm in a mood for destruction. So this is mine and Uncle Zetsu's training room." She pauses and walks the middle of the room and her left side turns into trees and rose bushes a pagoda in the distance. She glances at him. "Kevin, you get the right side of the room. Imagine wherever you want to be. This room will adapt your side to that location."

She watches when he ends up with a radio studio. She nods. "Okay. Now I want you to be careful to stay on your side if the room. While the damage wont be permanent, I don't want to hit you with any of my petals by accident. Because it's really not fun even if you have some immunity which I'm pretty sure you do, since Cecil does."

She turns to the wall behind them. "Pick your weapon, Kevin."

She watches as he grabs a butterfly knife. Sensible. She picks up her intricate rose staff from its spot along the wall. 

"Okay. I'm gonna release the victim simulations. These basically act like people bodies so they should be familiar. Just like the room if you want to change it, imagine the shift to what you want it to look like, okay?"

Kevin nods. Then Aeslyn grins. "And for more fun, you get to hear Uncle Zetsu's and my favorite Christmas Parody CD. It's gross and morbid but we enjoy it."

She watches him nod then turns on the CD. Circling on her crowd of victims [as the CD runs through the brief intro. When it launches into Deck the Halls with Parts of Charlie](https://youtu.be/MILPwk1kJzY), she sings along as she moves. 

In private, there's nothing wrong with not being a stealthy ninja. 

She glances over at Kevin who's filleting one of his victims also singing along. It's amusing how he's actually illustrating the song on his end.

She returns to fighting her own victims. Every once and awhile glancing over at Kevin to make sure he's okay. Both Betony and Carlos had warned her that he had a tendency to override his energy limits without noticing until he was dead on his feet.

Eventually she notices him flagging a bit and she claps her hands together to break the simulation and walks over to him. "Kevin, knife down. Let's order lunch. Then I want to show you something nice next door."

Kevin nods wiping the flat of the knife on his pants and folding it up and placing it on the shelf next to where she puts down her staff.

She pulls up the holo to the lunch menu and waves him over. "Come here and pick what you want to eat. We can picnic in here, just tell me where you want to go after."

Kevin nods and picks out a few things. Mostly game like she has, though he also chooses organs most of which are cooked to medium rare which surprises her. Then he says quietly "Can we go to a sunny hill in a city?"

She nods. "Sure." She imagines a sunny hillside in a park with an expansive blue sky with skyscrapers everywhere. "This work?"

Kevin nods. "Thank you."

She smiles. "Any time."

Then there's a knock on the training room door and she opens it on her twin sister, Maya. Kevin blinks. "She's a biomachine?"

Aeslyn shakes her head. "Close but not quite, Kevin. This is my little sister Maya. We call each other twin sisters, but she's actually an animated doll that looks like me. Maya, do you want to stay with us?"

Maya shakes her head. "Pleased to meet you Kevin, but I have to go prep the bar for the evening. See you later Aes."

Aeslyn nods, taking the basket of food from her sister. "Yup I'll be there for my shift at 9."

Then she treks up the hill with the basket waving Kevin to join her as Maya leaves.

They eat in silence until Kevin grabs the bucket of organs. "Want some?"

She shrugs and he reaches in and hands her a small organ. "They're good for you. Messy, but good."

She takes it and tries it. It can't be worse than eating bugs after all.

It isn't too bad. She makes a mental note to research it later.

Kevin grins then flops backwards. "You wanted to show me something?"

"Has anyone brought you to the springs next door?"

Kevin glances at her then shakes his head. 

"Well, that's where we're going if you're done eating."

She leads him to the dock in the side of the spring and slips off her sandals and socks, dipping her toes into the water. "Most folks swim in here if they don't like doing it in the river. It has healing properties and it's relaxing. Everyone is allowed to come down here when they need to cool off. Betony considers it a self-soothe skill if you ever take her up on the points system for self-care."

He nods and mostly stares at his reflection in the water. Seemingly entranced by it.

"Do you not like water?"

He shrugs. "I don't mind it."

She smiles and cups her hands into the water splashing it over her head. "It usually helps clear my head after I have a session in the training room. It's... This spring is like a reset button. Try it?"

He slips off his shoes and socks sitting beside her. Then reaches down to cup some water, copying her motion. She watches as he rocks in place, humming. Then he looks across the water. "What's over there?"

"Tilua and Khezef live there. We don't see them upstairs very often. Khezef is a draconic demon of death, Tilua is a sacrifice who takes care of him." 

He nods and lapses back into silence. After some time she helps him up and delivers him back to Betony for the evening.


End file.
